Under A Moonlit Sky
by massivelyattacked
Summary: Elirezara reflects upon moments shared with Anders the previous night, and the revelation he made that set off a series of events that will change the course of both of their lives. Follows "From Across the Room".


**Don't forget that this isn't the first story with Anders and Elirezara. In fact, it's getting close to the end of their tale. But if you'd like to know the whole sequence of events…read the following… "The First Sunrise", "Sink or Swim", "Easy as Pie", and "From Across the Room".**

**Reviews are appreciated.**

**[insert standard disclaimer here]**

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><p><em>Under a Moonlit Sky<em>

"Where is he?"

Elirezara stared blankly back at the Senior Enchanter in front of her. Torrin was a rather imposing man, towering above the elf as she looked up at him. Still, she didn't know who 'he' was – or rather, she did, but wasn't about to admit to it.

"I'm not sure who you're asking about," she said.

"Listen Surana," he began, "if you want your friend Anders to be safe, you'll tell us everything you know."

Her face dropped. So Anders had escaped again? She sighed.

"What do you know?" the man prompted again.

She shook her head. "I…I don't know anything. He didn't tell me of his plans," she said. _He never does…but…but I should have known…_

"The templars have not yet discovered his absence," Torrin said. "But I suspect that will not last long."

"Senior Enchanter, if I knew anything, I would tell you. I…"

Torrin looked at her sympathetically – it was evident that she was not only surprised to learn of this development, but also hurt by it. He would no longer interrogate her for further information. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If you do think of anything…no matter how small it might be, please let me know. The more information we have, the better chance we have of finding him before the templars realize he is gone."

She nodded as the man turned to leave. As she watched him head for the dorm's doorway, she flopped back down into her bed. Everything made sense now. It was no wonder he had become so resigned to his fate… He had never planned to let them see it through.

She closed her eyes and thought back to the previous day.

While she sat in the library studying – a typical location for her during the day when she wasn't involved in a class – Anders had come wandering in, looking quite relaxed for once. He had been especially tense in the previous few weeks, but she hadn't figured out why. As he strolled up to where she sat, she placed her books to the side and rose to greet him.

"Hi Eli," he said, giving her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. He didn't usually show much affection towards her in public – not because of embarrassment, but to prevent the templars from suspecting any sort of bond might have existed. Though she also noticed there weren't any hanging around as close as they normally did either. Still, she blushed as he pulled back from her, glancing at those in the area for any reaction. Only one girl a few tables over had looked up at them, and she quickly went back to her book. Elirezara wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or upset that no one cared. She decided upon the former reaction, as she sat back down at the long table. Anders pulled out a chair for himself as well and sat next to her.

"So, whatcha doin?" he asked.

"Just reading up on alchemy again," she replied. "I'll never be as good at healing as you are, so I had best learn the potions and the like." _Not as if it'll ever be of much use…I'll be in this tower for life…_

He smiled. "Good idea. Wouldn't want you getting injured with no way of fixing yourself up."

"What's got you in such a good mood today?" she questioned him.

"Oh, nothing in particular," he replied. "It's just a good day."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Sort of. It's kind of why I'm here. I wanted to meet up with you later tonight."

"Okay," she said, her eyes twinkling. It always made her feel special when Anders sought her out to invite her somewhere – even for something as mundane as studying. "Where should I meet you?"

"Hmm…" he said, considering a location. "Why don't I stop by your dorm? Say two hours after dinner?"

"Sure," she replied. "What did you have in mind?"

He smiled at her – that devious smile that suggested he was up to something. "You'll see. I'll still see you at dinner though, but don't forget. Oh, and you should probably wear something warmer too."

Her face scrunched up a little. "What are you up to?" she asked. He reached for her hand and squeezed it quickly before jumping to his feet.

"I'll see you later," he said, as he headed for the main door.

She watched him leave, noticing a particular bounce in his step. Happy to see that he was in such a good mood, she left it at that, not considering what the change in attitude could possibly mean. As she had returned to her studying, there was nothing to suggest what he was planning – in hindsight, nothing could have ever tipped her off to what was going to happen that night.

Dinner had passed relatively quickly, and for the most part, so had the period of waiting for Anders to arrive that followed. Elirezara had spent the better part of two hours fussing over her appearance, and picking out the warmest robes she could find for whatever it was that Anders had been secretly planning for them to do. She stopped herself at one point during the whole production and wondered just why she was making such a big deal over what she looked like. It was only Anders after all. Only Anders… And that was _exactly_ why she was making such a big deal over it. He had become such a big part of her life over the past year…much to her – and she supposed his – surprise. What surprised her most of all however, was that he hadn't ever tried to make a move on her…well, not really. She wondered if maybe he really didn't feel the way he said. But then she considered just how tender he was around her…how he never pushed, but always paid attention. The advances that weren't really advances at all always caused her confusion. But she was starting to be consumed by the thought of when the next would come…she had fallen in love with Anders – there was no questioning that anymore. Admitting just how much to him was another story…

Eventually she was satisfied with the way she looked, and headed back to her bunk. She threw her warm robes on the edge of the bed to await her escort's arrival. But escort to what? She was still intrigued with what he had planned, and would find out soon enough. She sat down gently on the bed and picked up her sketch book. She flipped through her drawings…of the Fade…of visions from her imagination…of her thoughts… As she came to the last few pages, it became quite evident of where her thoughts had been focused these days. She had sketched Anders one day when they sat in the library together. And again one night by candlelight while she couldn't sleep. She was starting to wonder how she was able to deal with the brief absences from him when they were forced apart through differences in daily schedule, or overnight as they slept in their adjacent dorms, with merely the wall between them – and with the hole between the dorm privies, barely that.

_This is no good_, she thought to herself. _I know what he's like, and he'll only break my heart…_

But she could not resist.

"Oye! Elf girl!"

Elirezara sat up quickly and bumped her head on the bunk frame as she tried to jump out of bed. It was no surprise that the voice from the front of the dorm was calling for her. She was the only elf in the apprentice dorms at the moment. She looked towards the voice and saw Anders peeking in through the doorway. He waved slightly, as the girl who called her snorted in disapproval. She picked up her outer robes and secured her sketchbook in its normal 'hiding spot' before heading to meet him.

As she walked through the doorway, he took her hand and playfully spun her around to get a look.

"My, my," he began, "you certainly look pretty tonight."

She blushed furiously and regretted every single moment she spent fussing over her hair.

"I…uh…"

"No need to get flustered, Eli," he replied. "There's nothing wrong with you right now."

"Are you implying there is normally something wrong with me?" she questioned indignantly.

He looked at her and shook his head.

"I…I'm sorry Anders," she sputtered. "I just can't take a compliment too well."

"I'm glad you've finally recognized that about yourself," he said. "Just wish you'd take what I say a little more seriously. I mean every word I say to you."

"Not just lip service like to all the other girls, huh?" she joked.

He chuckled a little. Elirezara knew all about his history – he wasn't about to hide it, considering how long they had been friends. Though she had noticed that she hadn't heard any stories about him since…was it the night they had first kissed? Or even before that…when she had first started to notice certain things about him? The way she'd catch him looking at her. The subtle way his hand would brush against hers as they walked through the corridors.

"So…you, uh…done with whatever's going on in that head of yours?" he asked with a smirk.

"Oh, yes. Of course, I'm sorry," she stuttered. "Just a bit of daydreaming."

"Was I in it?"

"Anders. You are the worst," she said.

"Yes I am," he replied, grabbing her hand again and pulling her down the corridor. "Come on! We can't be late."

"Late for what? You _still_ haven't told me where we're going!" she protested as he dragged her along.

"I said you'll see!"

She groaned as he led her through the Tower halls. They were heading towards…the main entrance? Was he seriously trying to walk her through the front doors of this place?

As they approached the main lobby, the templar at the door stuck out his hand, and Anders pulled a small piece of paper from the pocket of his robes and handed it to him. The templar waved the two along and Elirezara nearly tripped over her own feet from the shock.

"What? How is?" she said incredulously.

"I have permission to go outside," he said without a hint of humour in his voice.

"You. You have permission. To go…outside?" she asked. "After…_everything_ you've done. They are giving you permission to go…outside?"

"Yup," he said with a smile.

She pulled his arm back and stopped him in his tracks. "Anders, I don't understand. What is going on?"

"Well," he began, "since you always have your head buried in a book, I figured that you hadn't heard about the upcoming celestial activities."

"The what?"

"The moon, Eli. There's going to be a lunar eclipse tonight! I thought you might find it fascinating," he replied.

"A lunar eclipse…?" she responded slowly.

"Oh, you're hopeless," he said, stifling a giggle. "Come on!"

He pulled her out the front door and several templars pointed him in the direction of a small group of mages gathered down by the water's edge. He had been pleasantly surprised that the First Enchanter had agreed to allow him outside – perhaps it was Irving's way of showing some compassion where so many others had not. Or perhaps he thought that his newfound relationship with Elirezara would have kept him from plotting to escape the Tower once again. Either way, he was happy it was being allowed, for he wanted the elf to understand just how wonderful it could be to be free outside. Maybe once day she'd try to escape with him – and they could be free together. Then again…maybe not…

As they walked towards the group of mages, Anders noticed her surveying the dimming night sky. Dusk had come and the sky was becoming a deep blue, punctuated by the earliest of blinking stars. The sun had already fallen below the horizon and its light was slowly fading.

"I…can't remember the last time I was outside at night," she said quietly.

They both stopped briefly and he looked at her. Her lip was trembling at the sight before her, and he couldn't help but wonder if a tear or two might fall. Though, perhaps even surprising herself, she managed to keep her emotions in check, and they began to walk towards the group again.

When they reached the mages, Elirezara scanned the group briefly. She recognized several apprentices, some of the Enchanters, and her eyes eventually met with those of the First Enchanter. Irving smiled warmly in her direction and nodded his acknowledgement. She smiled back and looked up at Anders.

"I still…I can't believe they are willingly letting you out of the Tower," she whispered loudly to him. Just because they let him out, doesn't mean they would hesitate to throw him right back in.

"It took a lot of convincing," he replied. "I went directly to Irving. And even he had trouble with Greagoir, but eventually he won him over. I promised to be on my best behavior. And I will be."

"Anders, I'm very proud of you," she said.

"Don't mock me Eli," he said.

"I'm not. This is a big step for you," she said, squeezing his hand gently.

He smiled back at her. "Okay, let's not get too sentimental here."

The elf couldn't help but snort uncharacteristically at his remark. The two finally began to pay attention to an announcement being made by one of the Enchanters near the centre of the group.

"…and the wonderful kitchen staff has prepared cookies and hot cocoa for us all to enjoy while we watch the eclipse. So please…find yourself a seat. We have plenty of blankets up here for everyone."

Cookies, hot cocoa and blankets? Elirezara began to wonder what they had all done to deserve such wonderful treatment. Anders motioned for her to wait there as he ran up ahead to retrieve two blankets and some treats for them to share. When he returned, he handed her a mug of cocoa and started to look around.

"Well, where do you want to sit?" he asked.

She looked around as well, spying a patch of grass near the edge of a flowerbed. She pointed in its direction. "That looks nice right over there."

They walked to the spot and Anders flattened out one of the blankets on the ground. He reached for her hand and helped her to the ground gently. As he flopped down to the ground, he deftly juggled his own mug of cocoa, as well as the cookies and second blanket. After placing everything on the ground in front of him, he looked over at Elirezara and smiled again.

"Comfy?"

"Yes," she replied. And if she was honest with herself, she would even say it was the most comfortable she had been in a very long time.

Although neither of them were particularly chilly, Anders wrapped the second blanket around both of their shoulders. She felt his hand on her back as he did so, running his fingers along the soft fabric of her robes. It came to rest somewhere around her hip furthest from where he sat. He half leaned back resting on his right arm, so it was difficult for anyone to tell what the other arm that was hidden under the blanket halfway around Elirezara's body was doing. Normally she wouldn't feel comfortable with his actions, but things had changed for her. The slightest touch from him set her skin on fire with tingling electricity. She began to long for that touch, so when she finally felt it, she relished it.

She quickly glanced around where they sat – the templars were close, yet not paying enough attention to what the mages were doing. Perhaps they were trying to attune themselves to the feel of illegal magic in the air. It mattered not; so long as they weren't staring directly at her and Anders, she would remain content. As instinct took over, she leaned into him gently, lightly resting her head on his shoulder.

They both looked towards the skies, seeing the full moon hanging there. Its pale face shone down upon them all, providing an ambient glow as a backdrop to their temporary bits of freedom. The other mages gathered together, giggling and tittering together as they watched the skies as well. The First Enchanter looked on like a proud father – happy to see that all of his charges were for once extremely well-behaved. Especially Anders. He smiled as he saw the young man sitting so closely beside Elirezara. It was evident that her influence upon him had grown.

"Eli, I wanted tonight to be special," Anders said, finally breaking the silence between them.

She looked up at him, gazing into his honey brown eyes. "It is special, Anders. It's always special when you're with me." The admission immediately brought a blush to her pale cheeks, and she was thankful for the darkness that accompanied it.

In seconds, his expression changed. "They're going to make me Tranquil Eli."

"What?" she whispered in surprise. "No…they wouldn't do that. You're not a blood mage."

"When I asked Irving to allow me to bring you out here tonight. I overheard him speaking to Greagoir when I waited outside of his office for the answer. It was how he convinced him to allow me one last night out here," he said sadly.

"I don't…I don't understand," she said. Her mouth fell open to try to aid the words to form, but they wouldn't. She began to shake.

"Shh…Eli, shh…don't cry," he said, pulling her closer. "They don't know that I overheard. If they did…well…"

"No, Anders," she said defiantly. "I won't let them take you that way. They can't."

"They can, and there won't be much any of us can do about it," he said.

She looked at him – she tried so very hard to hold back the tears that were on the verge of spilling. "How could you be…so happy? How? You should be angry…you can't let them do this!"

"What am I going to do Eli? I'm not even a Harrowed mage. And once the templars are on me, I'll be cut from the Fade…unable to fight back with anything," he said with a cool resignation.

She buried her face into his chest suddenly. "It's not fair, Anders. It's not fair…"

He didn't speak – merely put his arms around her and held her tightly. There was nothing either of them could do to change what the templars had planned for him. He had attempted escape one too many times. He was too much of a danger to the outside world.

When she pulled back from him, her face was tear-streaked. Anders looked at her but didn't know what to say.

"I don't want to be out here anymore," she said angrily.

He looked at her, his eyes pleading with her to stay. "Eli…please don't go. Please stay with me. Let me have one more night with you…out here…please."

She sighed. "I'm so sorry Anders. What can I do? What can I do to stop this?"

He placed his hand at her cheek and looked into her eyes. "There's nothing you can do. And I don't want you to do anything. I don't want you to involve yourself in this, because I could never live knowing that they made you Tranquil for my mistakes." He pulled her face towards him and kissed her softly. "I love you Eli. I regret wasting so much time on all the meaningless shit I wasted it on. It has always been you…I just didn't know it. You've been my best friend through it all. I'm so sorry for paying you back this way. You have always been the one warning me…and I never listened. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

She all but threw herself back into his embrace and they held each other for long moments. He didn't know when he would be made Tranquil, but they likely didn't have much more time like this. His breath flowed across the tip of her ear and she shuddered when she thought it was probable that this was the last time she would feel it there. She would never feel his embrace again. Never hear the lilt in his voice as he laughed with her. Never see him smirk…or smile… Never again…

They heard the group of mages begin a chorus of 'oooohs' nearby and pulled away from each other slightly. The two looked up towards the sky in time to see the moon being eclipsed by another body in the sky. The disk slid in front of the moon, darkening the sky and blocking out its light. As she watched the sight, Elirezara felt the same thing happen to her heart – as if all the love she felt was being extinguished in front of her. She squeezed her eyes tight…trying to remember the sun. Trying to remember back to that first sunrise with Anders.

Elirezara opened her eyes to find herself sitting in her bunk, shaking off the memories of the night before. She stood and walked to where the robes she wore the night before were hanging. Grabbing the robe, she buried her face into it, breathing the scent of Anders in while it still lingered within the fabric. She held the robe tight to her body, and noticed it felt strange around one of the large pockets. She stuck her hand deep into the pocket and felt a piece of folded parchment. As she withdrew it from the pocket and unfolded it, she immediately recognized the cursive – Anders.

_Dear Eli,_

_I'm sure by the time you read this, you'll know that I've escaped the Tower again. Or I'll have failed horribly and am sitting in a dungeon somewhere awaiting my fate as a Tranquil mage. Hopefully the former. I wish I could have told you my plans last night, but…I didn't want you to be any further involved than you already are._

_I wanted to tell you so many things last night. That you are the one person who has made living in the Tower bearable. That you are the reason my last two escape attempts were so horribly unsuccessful. That this has been the hardest decision of my life to leave you behind. But, after what I told you last night, I hope you can understand why I had to do it. I don't have any other choice. I can never be Tranquil. I would rather die. You know that._

_I will miss you Eli. You have been my best friend…my only friend. I feel in my heart that we will see each other again one day. But for now, know that I have no plans to return to the Tower._

_I love you Eli…_

_Anders_

As she finished reading the letter, she folded it back up and reached across her bed for her hidden sketchbook. She opened the book to her drawings of Anders and placed the letter in between them. She closed the pages and clasped the book closely to her chest, covering it up with the robe she still held.

Curling up into a ball on the bed, she again thought back to that one very early morning that she shared with Anders years before. He showed her the sun rising in the sky to remind her that even in the Tower, there was still beauty that could be seen. And she'd never forget his words that day…

_It's always darkest before the light…_


End file.
